


After the Elseworld

by Discar



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-30 03:04:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17215802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Discar/pseuds/Discar
Summary: A short postscript to Elseworlds, with Oliver and Barry at the bar.  Nothing special, just a scene that was stuck in my head and needed to get out.





	After the Elseworld

Oliver Queen sat at a bar in Central City, happy for the first time in a few days. Switching lives with the Flash had been an interesting experience, but one he never wanted to repeat. He was looking forward to going home, kissing his wife, and being certain that she knew who he was.

He was enjoying being away from Star City, however, if only because of the anonymity. Ever since he had been released from prison, he had been the most infamous person in Star City. He was still famous everywhere else, including Central City, but at least he could sit at a bar and drink without getting stares.

"I should probably go," Barry said, getting up. "There's still a lot to clean up just with AMAZO."

Oliver nodded. "I understand." It was probably best that Barry wasn't seen with him in public too much anyway, or people might begin to connect the dots. It wouldn't take too long for people to notice that Oliver Queen's good friend Barry Allen looked a lot like the Green Arrow's ally the Flash. But still, he should make an effort to be a little friendly. "You sure you don't want to stay for one more drink?"

Barry laughed and gave him an awkward smile. "Well... you know..."

"Right, you can't get drunk." Oliver rolled his eyes. "Not sure how you live without that."

"I get by." He started fishing for his wallet. "I'll cover you."

Oliver chuckled. "Barry, I'm fine."

"No, no, I want to—"

"I have _more_ than enough cash—"

"You know, I haven't been keeping track, but I might actually be richer than you now—"

They were interrupted by a girl running in and tackling Barry with a big hug.

Oliver tensed, years of violence readying him for anything, but he quickly relaxed. Barry looked surprised, but he clearly knew the girl. He patted her on the head. "Hey, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

The girl pulled away. Oliver scanned her in an instant. Dark skin of uncertain ethnicity, athletic build, eyes red from crying. She looked to be about the same age as the two of them, though she had rounded features like Barry, making her look a bit younger than she probably was.

"It is you, right?" she asked. She glanced at Oliver. "You're Oliver? You switched back?"

Oliver sat up straighter. Again, Barry clearly knew this girl, so he wasn't too worried, but he couldn't suppress his instincts. This girl knew something she shouldn't, and everything about that screamed danger.

"Yeah, we switched back," Barry said. "How did you know about that? I thought you were still, uh, wherever you were..."

"I just got back. Mom told me."

"Barry..." Oliver said in a low voice.

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Barry shook his head. "Everything's been so crazy, I forgot we haven't had a chance to catch up." He nodded at the girl. "This is Nora. My daughter." He tried and failed to hide a smirk.

Oliver stared.

"And you're Uncle Oliver!" Nora said. She gave him a big hug before he could stop her. "It's so great to finally meet you." She pulled back, still smiling. "I mean, I don't really get a chance to talk to Aunty Felicity much, with the whole, you know, everything, but I've read about you a lot."

Oliver continued to stare.

"I even visited the Green Arrow museum once. I mean, there's not really much of it left, after the Glades, and to be honest I didn't care that much, but I read about some of your bigger adventures. Did you really meet John Constantine?"

Oliver closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Dark skin almost perfectly balanced between the skin tones of Barry and Iris. Athletic build of a runner. Cried when hearing what happened to Barry. Same round features as Barry, same height as Iris. Same babbling as Barry.

He opened his eyes to see Barry and Nora staring at him, wide-eyed, with the exact same expressions on their faces.

"You're from the future," he said flatly.

"Uh, yeah," Nora said. "I ran back here and... kinda screwed some things up. But now I'm gonna fix them! Or, uh, try to, at least."

Well, she was certainly Barry's daughter.

Oliver took a long drink.

"God _dammit_ Barry, you make me miss the criminal conspiracy that controlled my entire city."

Barry smiled, but quickly hid it. "Sorry."

Oliver sighed. "So why are you still here? Or here at all, really. Messing with the past can't be safe."

Nora looked uncomfortable. "Well, you see, where I came from my Dad disappeared a few years from now, so I grew up without him, so I wanted to meet him, and..." She trailed off awkwardly.

"Disappeared?" Oliver asked. "Disappeared how?"

"There was this major crisis, and a fight with the Reverse-Flash, and—"

"And it's not important," Barry said. "It's not for a few more years, so we'll handle it when it happens."

Oliver closed his eyes.

A crisis set for a few years in the future. One where the Flash—and maybe others—were expected to die.

It had been set for a few years in the future, at least. Until the Green Arrow decided to make a deal with the Monitor.

"I can't fault you for wanting to get to know your father," Oliver said, forcing a smile onto his face. He tipped his drink at her. "I hope you stay as long as you like."

Maybe, with an extra speedster around, they could save Barry after all.


End file.
